In the two years that I’ve been reading Radiant Black, I can safely say that very few comics have pushed the storytelling envelope in the way this series has. It has its own soundtrack, merchandise including a working helmet, and even an animated short film. But one of the biggest – and trippiest – choices was to set an entire issue inside the realm of Existence, which was displayed in a blacklight format. Radiant Black #24 returns to this format, putting its protagonists through a lot in the process.
The appropriately titled “Return To Existence” finds Nathan and Marshall re-entering Existence to try and fix their glitching Radiant. Once again, this is a task that’s easier said than done – when Marshall first entered Existence to save Nathan’s life, he was forced to confront some harsh truths about himself. Both of them get put through the wringer, with Nathan having to deal with his stalled writing career and Marshall being forced to deal with the real reasons he took up the Radiant.
Co-creators Kyle Higgins and Marcelo Costa once again use the existence of…well, Existence to once again push the boundaries of a comic book. In Costa’s case, he dedicates whole pages to showing off the trippy science-fiction elements. Case in point: the opening features Nathan and Marshall literally bursting through panels, and a double-page spread has them walking through an Escher-like structure. Paired with Igor Monti’s mind-melting colors and Becca Carey’s lettering seeming to leap off the page, this is a gorgeous-looking comic. Just don’t take any acid before reading it.
Higgins’s script is more than a mix for the art, as quite a few emotional bombs are dropped throughout the story. One of the things I’ve loved about Radiant Black is that it’s a superhero story for the millennial generation. Most of Nathan and Marshall’s struggles aren’t with supervillains, but with their purpose in life. Can Nathan be a truly great writer? Can Marshall find what he actually wants to do with his life? These questions have come back into focus ever since they’ve started sharing the Radiant, and it comes to a head in an emotionally devastating sequence.
You might be asking yourself, “Well what makes this trip to Existence different from the first?” It’s a fair question, as certain elements and imagery are repeated verbatim from Radiant Black #10. The answer lies in the ending, which once again features an interactive moment. It’s stuff like this that sets the Massiveverse apart from its fellow superhero titles; the readers are going to be involved in a creative decision that helps shape the story. Thankfully, this is a little less weighted than voting for your favorite X-Men character.
Radiant Black #24 forces both of its protagonists to re-enter Existence and deal with some harsh truths, while setting the stage for the Catalyst War. Whatever this storyline brings to the table, it should continue the trailblazing path that the series has been on.
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